I Think It's Going To Rain Today

A literal interpretation - This song is written from the character of a homeless person, wandering the streets collecting change in a tin can (his friend), making comments on store mannequins (scarecrows) and neon Salvation Army signs (bright before me), and wanting to stay dry. "Human kindness is overflowing" is painfully sarcastic.

Agree with others about sarcastic nature of song; it's wonderfully poignant, symbolic, and ironic. Masterful poetry that is so open that such a wide range of artists have put such a unique stamp on it. I mean compare my 2 favorite versions: Dusty Springfield's (that is true to the depressive, lush intent) and UB40's that obscures and finds the meditative repetitions. Both wonderful and light years apart.

I think the song can be whatever you imagine the lyric to be. To me, a sad situation, everyone is expressing kindness, but it's a sad day, that's the rain. The scarecrows dressed in the latest styles, with frozen smiles are pretenders who could do more, but did not, seldom seen, its a pity about their attitude. Tin can at my feet, kick it down the street, anger in a person, feeling low and desperate, you could even blame your friends, lonely solitary feelings could create this mood. Bright before me the signs implore me help the needy show them the way. Get it together and show needy people some human kindness. Rise above the sad situation and look to the light. Just my thoughts. Ask Randy, he should know best.

beautiful.

It's about the homeless. He writes lyrics about them often.

This song is different with every voice that sings it, but Newman's original version (his voice) is the way it was meant to be heard and captured. There is genious in not only it's composition and arrangement but also the way he delivers it - A simple voice telling you the way we treat people is not good enough.

It is most simply one of the most powerful songs ever written.

great and depressing both at the same time... cant really figure what its all about though...

As for a literal interpretation, I think only Randy can answer that. But as a personal meaning this song describes very well the feeling of being alienated, or more profoundly that the world isn't what you thought it was. If you ever saw the movie "Bruce Almighty", he says "let it rain", and the next scene he's in his living room feeling awful about the circumstances he's in. I think Randy was saying the same thing, "Screw it all! Just let it rain so everybody can be as miserable as me."

As for a literal interpretation, I think only Randy can answer that. But as a personal meaning this song describes very well the feeling of being alienated, or more profoundly that the world isn't what you thought it was. If you ever saw the movie "Bruce Almighty", he says "let it rain", and the next scene he's in his living room feeling awful about the circumstances he's in. I think Randy was saying the same thing, "Screw it all! Just let it rain so everybody can be as miserable as me."

I believe that Mr. Newman is saying that Civilization as we know it is ending, and in his genius, he makes this horror sound beautiful.

Instead of hearing the word "overflowing" as it is written, hear it as "over flowing" meaning "kindness is done flowing" and you then realize he is saying that "human kindness is over flowing" and the "rain" (end of the world) is coming.